The Mongrel
by JKRaven999
Summary: Menzoberranzan, the city of the drow...a most unforgiving place even for the most vile dark elf. Follow the story of this half bred as he labors alongside the other slaves in Menzoberranzan's second most powerful house...
1. The Mongrel

* The recognisable characters appearing in this story are © Wizards of the Coast, Inc., all rights reserved. They are used without permission and for entertainment purposes only. No profit is being made by the author for writing this story. No infringement upon nor challenge to the rights of the copyright holders is intended; nor should any be inferred.

_**Chapter 1 - The half-bred**_

It was a busy day in the city of spiders.  
The bazzar was filled with merchants and craftsmen.  
The older members of Melee-Magthere had just come back from a successful raid on an elven village.  
Slaves and spoils were being dragged into the dark city.

He could hear the constant crack of the whip as drow slavers tortured the new arrivals, testing their resolve.  
He could hear the mocking laugh of drow priestesses as they watched from a distance.  
Choosing which slave would serve as a sacrifice to the Spider Queen, like one would choose the best looking fruits at the market.

Tightening the cloak around his face, the young man silently made his way towards the rich section of the city...the area occupied by most of the great houses that ruled over Menzoberranzan.

Blending in the shadows of the dark streets, he wisely avoided a trio of dark elves coming out from a tavern.  
The three looked as though they had drunk more than a bit and seemed to be looking for a fight.

Swiftly crossing the street, he was relieved to see that they started picking on an orc slave.

He looked up to see the great houses of the city as they loomed over the poor section, like a great beast seeking to devour.  
The great pillar of the city, Narbondel, shun brightly. A symbol of the arcane power contained in the great city and a reminder to all nobles  
that house Baenre was far more powerful than all other houses in Menzoberranzan.

Spiders were rampant. Some large, some small, but all held as much importance in the eyes of Lolth and her followers.  
Killing a spider resulted in a most unpleasant death, especially if the offender was a non-drow such as himself.

Walking through the great city, he came to a halt as he entered the huge gate that marked his house.  
Several disaproving glares came his way, a constant reminder that he would never be accepted in drow society.

Barrison del`Armgo`s courtyard was immense. The great house ranking second in the city, sported a large number of priestesses, wizards and was reknown for the size and skill of its warriors.

Entering the main complex, the young man swallowed hard and knocked on a large door that featured countless spider engravings.  
The house was full of them...

"Come in" said a loud voice coming from inside.

Opening the door, the young man faced a tall, angry looking drow...Uthegental Armgo. Clearly the tallest drow in the city, he was known for his volatile and violent temper.

"I hope for your sake the task is done" he said, his visage not showing a hint of kindness.

"Yes father, it is done." the young man said removing his cloak.

" Good...perhaps you will not turn out to be like the useless offal your mother was" came the harsh reply.  
The young man did not even flinch at the insult. He was getting used to the demeaning insults...that was his lot in life it seems.  
He was punished, even when he did not do anything wrong.

"Now go and rest while you can. Tonight you will be fighting Duedrin. He is an accomplished warrior and I think your ego can use a little more humiliation."

"Yes father" came the obedient reply.

Uthegental looked at his son with much hatred. However his hate was not as constant and strong as that of the priestesses.  
They so enjoyed torturing him and insulting him. He was the opposite of everything they held dear and represented.  
He was a mongrel, an abomination...he was half-drow.


	2. Divine Favor

Chapter **2** - Divine Favor 

**Today was just another day in the dark elf city...**

**Merchants selling their goods in the Bazzar, students training in one of the three academies, one noble house plotting against the other, new slaves arriving after a successful raid on a small human settlement and lots of noise and commotion coming from the gladiator pits.**

**Though not nearly as large as Waterdeep, Calimport or other human cities, Menzoberranzan was a very busy center of trade and commerce.**

**The City of Spiders was majestic in every way, yet strangely so. On occasion the dark elf city was loud and lively, while on other occasions the noise was reduced to mere whispers as murderous eyes scanned the streets like a great eagle, sweeping over a field, watching and waiting for something to prey upon.**

**For Ilmuryn, there was nothing to look forward to. No academy to attend, no shopping for goods in the Bazzar, no fun watching the slaves that killed each other in the gladiator pits. Only the cold glares of those around him, awaited him. The small, dark room he called 'home' was atleast of some comfort to him.**

**No one was there to torment him or ridicule him...only silence and darkness kept him company. It did not take long for the half drow to realize that silence and darkness would be his closest allies in the Underdark.**

**Long nights he had spent wondering what he had done to deserve such a punishment. To be half human in Menzoberranzan was one of the worst fates one could imagine. Although drow do not hate humans as much as elves or dwarves, being of half bred heritage was considered almost sacrilegeous in nature.**

**He had often wondered why the nobles of Barrison Del'Armgo had let him live...perhaps this was all a joke, or perhaps simply living was deemed a fitting punishment for him. Ilmuryn knew well of his father and his unsatiable obsession with humans. After all, it is not unusual for a drow male to take up a human female as a pleasure slave...but normally the humans are forced to ingest fungi and spices devised to eliminate the risk of pregnancy.**

**When a female does fall pregnant, the child is either killed in the womb along with the mother, or used as a sacrifice to Lolth after birth.**

**Why he had been spared had always been a mystery to him. **

**Ilmuryn carried no noble name, for even though he was the offspring of a noble, his cursed heritage negated any priviledges he could have been granted had he been a full blooded drow. Instead he was destined to live a short, miserable life, carrying nothing but the title; Ilmuryn the mongrel.**

**He did not claim allegiance, or hold any faith in the dieties. From what he had learned, the drow gods were as cruel and twisted as the drow that worshiped them. Even worst, the Lolthian worshipers constantly seek to undermine and eradicate the followers of the other drow gods. The Spider Queen claims all dark elves and like a glutonous bitch, she leaves no room for the other dieties.**

**Of course, there are many other gods...but to Ilmuryn, the human gods are but a distant thought. **

**He had learned little about the humans and even less about the other surface races. Tales of how the surface elves and faeries tormented the drow and slaughtered them without mercy were very popular in the city...but Ilmuryn knew better than to believe those stories. One day, he would learn the truth about how the drow came to call the Underdark their home, and would probably learn more about the hated surface elves in the process...not that they mattered. It was no secret in Faerun that the Elven kin was slowly dying. Trees were being cut down like weeds and forests were shrinking quickly in the face of human urbanization. Human kingdoms and cities were constantly expanding, while the elves were forced deeper and deeper into their own territory.**

**While elves are hated and despised, humans are viewed as creatures of amusement to most drow - a laughing matter.**

**From what he had been told, the drow have little reason to fear the humans, or "surface rothe" as they were sometimes called.**

**Human kingdoms and countries are constantly at war with one another. Empires come and go like the tides of the sea.**

**So divided and chaotic is the human race that they do not pose a serious threat to the drow.**

**If united however, humanity would pose a very serious threat to the other races of Toril - drow included. The dark elves know this of course...always watching the world above with the vigilance and gaze of the eagle. Never would they stand by while the human race united together. The dark elves are masters of chaos...sowing seeds of trouble wherever peace might grow, pitting kingdom against kingdom and king against king, spinning webs of deceit and manipulating leaders so that guilds and clans end up eliminating each other.**

**It is a wonder that the human race survives at all. Of course, in Menzoberranzan it is not uncommon for a noble to kill another noble or for a noble house to wipe out a weaker house...these things are considered normal. But for a dark elf city to openly declare war and march against another dark elven city would be unthinkable and uncivilized.**

**In truth, Ilmuryn held no love for his human heritage. The only thing it had gotten him was misery, pain and anger.**

**How he longed to be a full blooded drow ! If not for his human half, his life would be filled with opportunities and chances for advancement and power.**

**Of course, "power" was relative for a male in a female dominated society. As it was often said, "power for a male lies only in the bedchambers of the priestesses or in the books of the mages."He had little interest in the arcane arts and truth-be-known, had no chance of becoming the consort of a powerful priestess.**

**Few females would want anything to do with a half blooded drow and very few would even tolerate such a person in their midst.**

**In a way, his human heritage protected him from the Lolth worshiping priestesses. **

**He did not have to service them and please them like the other males did, since no priestess that valued her relationship with Lolth would ever defile herself with a half bred.**

**His chances of finding a mate were slim at best. **

**Letting his thoughts roam, he let out a deep sigh as he contemplated his life and the possibilities that lied ahead.**

**Although born and raised among drow, he was still partially human at heart and mind. **

**He did not think, or reason like the typical drow. He was cautious and alert, skilled in combat, but his mind also had the creative and spontaneous touch of the human race. Although he had little to be thankful for, his thoughts were sometimes optimistic, his mind filled with dreams and hopes of a better future. **

**Perhaps this was all he had...hopes and dreams.**

**But one way or another he would find a way to add meaning to his life.**

**He would survive, he would adapt...just as he had done from the time of his birth.**

**Suddenly, a glimmer of hope lit the young man's eyes.**

**It was an idea, a crazy idea...wishful thinking at best...but he would have to explore this possibility, even if it meant his life.**

**He had little to lose, but so much to gain.**

**Perhaps his life would gain meaning sooner than he expected.**

**Little did he know a deity was watching from above...Vhearun, the Masked Lord, was smilling upon him on this day.**


	3. The Contact

Chapter **3** - The Contact

**Far away from the confines of Menzoberranzan, the sun was rising over the Sword Coast. The warm ocean breeze sweeping over the coastal city of Waterdeep. By far, one of the largest cities in Faerun, Waterdeep was home to several hundred thousand people...mostly humans, but elves, dwarves and halflings as well. Not only was the city a center of attraction for wizards and arcanists but her inns and taverns were prized by adventurers and sellswords from all over the Coast. Every year, merchants and traders from all over Faerun flocked towards the buzzing metropolis, hoping to get a taste of the latest trends and the newest spell components. Travelers often camped on the hills surounding the city, simply for the sight of it. It's size being so impressive and its location -between mountains and sea- seeming almost sureal, Waterdeep was a sight for sore eyes.**

**Like all large cities however, Waterdeep was no stranger to violence and corruption. **

**Deep under the sprawling city, Skullport, a large maze of interconnecting tunnels and caverns, was home to some very dark and questionnable practices. Reputed criminals hung out and street gangs met in the dark passageways. The selling of stolen goods was common, as was the smuggling of illegal substances. This was one of the largest ghettos in Faerun. A focal point for bandits and bounty hunters of all sorts, the perfect location for a black market...or for a secret meeting with an important contact...**

**Ferrumach and Aurumach looked a little out of place in their surroundings. The two Rilmani brothers seemed more akin to the comforts of a richly adorned estate rather than the damp and dark corridors of Waterdeep's underground ghetto. Dressed like wizards but appearing too young to have any real power, the human twins confidentaly made their way down the tunnels, going into the deeper chambers of the underground city.**

**A distant scream and the sound of a sword falling on the rocky floor echoed through the lower tunnels. **

**The pair continued to make their way deeper still. Most of the upper chambers were lit, but down here, there were almost no torches hanging on the walls. Few humans ventured this deep into Skullport...only the foolish would descend into the darkness. **

**But for Ferrumach and Aurumach Rilmani, meeting agents and informants in the depths of the city was nothing new. **

**Their eyes lit with infravision and their magical protections already well in place, the young spellcasters had little to fear...or so they thought,**

**"Here, we wait" Aurumach wispered to his sibbling as they neared a fork in the tunnel. "Hopefully he will be here shortly" he added, a look of impatience crossing his pale face.**

**"The drow are rarely iddle with their time" Ferrumach stated with a sly smile. His twin could do nothing but agree with so-true a statement.**

**A short while later, a figure silently emerges from the shadows in front of the pair.**

**"Sondal ?" Aurumach wispered "Is it you ?"**

**Spooked by the sudden appearance of this creature only a few feet in front of them, the two brothers stood there, hearts pounding, senses heightened. Not knowing if this was their contact or if they had just fallen prey to an ambush.**

**"Sondal ?" Aurumach called more forcefully...from the corner of his eye, the young man could see his brother flexing his hands in preparation to cast a spell. His sibbling was already planning his attack, he figured...or perhaps, he was planning his escape through a portal of some sort. **

**The thought of his brother escaping the ambush and leaving him to face this dark figure, froze him solid.**

**Even when surrounded with powerful magics and protective wards, humans were still creatures of light...alien to this world of darkness.**

**The creature approached even closer.**

**Aurumach started to wonder if venturing so deep in the tunnels was such a good idea.**

**He could feel his heart thumping, his blood felt icy cold...magical energy sizzling his finger tips, ready to incinerate the creature that stood so close to him.**

**The figure was so close now...**

**"It is I" came a soft, low pitched reply.**

**The two brothers looked at each other, obvious relief painted plainly on their faces.**

**The cloaked figure in front of them pulled down it's hood, cropped white hair and a pair of red eyes could be seen clearly through the infravision.**

**"I trust you have a good reason for bringing us down here." Ferrumach hissed, somewhat annoyed that their contact seemed to take perverted pleasure at creeping in the shadows right before suddenly appearing a few feet in front of them.**

**"I assure you, my reason is quite valid." Sondal replied, looking the young human straight in the eyes. "I have located a potential recruit for your...for our cause." he corrected, a wicked smile crossing his dark face.**

**Ferrumach and Aurumach exchanged quick glances, obviously interested in what their contact was offering.**

**"Where ?" the brothers asked in unison.**

**"Menzoberranzan" came the reply.**

**"A drow ?" Aurumach asked, seeming even more intrigued.**

**"Not exactly" The dark elf said, another grin appearing on his angular face" You see, this one was sired by a drow but was birthed by a human." he explained, quite pleased that the humans were intrigued.**

**The Rilmani brothers looked at each other again, this time with eyes wide open. **

**"It is quite rare for a half drow to be aloud to live." he continued. "But for some reason I cannot fathom, his house has seen it fit to keep him alive".**

**"How interesting" Aurumach quietly stated...trying to figure out a way of using this information to his advantage.**

**"How did you come to know about this creature, and how certain are you that he will willingly join our cause ?" Ferrumach interjected.**

**"One of Vhearun's servants has revealed this to me." the drow sharply answered, somewhat angered by the human's tone of voice.**

**"And how do you suppose we are to meet with this half bred ?" Ferrumach pressed. "We cannot simply walk into Menzoberranzan and knock on his door !".**

**"Of course not" the drow tauntingly replied. "I would hate to see you being eaten alive by a horde spiders" he said, obvious sarcasm dripping from his mouth.**

**Ferrumach narrowed his eyes and started to reply, but was interrupted.**

**"You do not have to trouble yourself with finding this half bred" the dark elf stated, starring at Aurumach. "He will come to you."**

**The arcanist lifted an eyebrow...a little confused about what his drow contact was telling him.**

**"The Masked Lord himself, shall guide him" came the explanation.**

**For an instant, the brothers wondered if Sondal was joking.**

**A quick look at the dark elf's serious face however, erased any such possibilities.**

**It was like he had collided face to face with a staligmite.**

**A series of images had suddenly bombarded his mind. Thoughts of going out on the surface on some grandiose adventure, raiding towns and plundering villages, seeding chaos on the world above, finding magical items and earning profit along the way. All these thoughts were being fed to his mind.**

**He must admit though, that at times he did envy those drow that were sent on the surface to raid elven settlements. He would also have to admit that he always thought of stealing or even killing to gain possesion of a magical item of some sort. **

**But now, all his desires and dreams were gnawing at his mind...all at once.**

**He felt as though he was being prodded...felt as though he was being pushed somehow.**

**All he could think about, was his sudden burning desire to leave this infernal cavern called Menzoberranzan.**

**He had no idea of how to get to the surface, nor did he have any idea of what would happen when the nobles of Barrison Del'Armgo found out he was missing. Perhaps, they simply wouldnt notice...or wouldnt care, he figured. On the other hand, Uthegental and a whole party of house soldiers might come looking for him, he thought. He did not want to think of the tortures that would await him if the Weapons Master ever managed to capture him.**

**He decided, or rather tried not to ponder on those thoughts. **

**All he had to worry about was getting away from the city and surviving alone in the Underdark.**

**The mongrel felt a sense of urgency, like he had never felt before.**

**Without a second thought, he started packing everything he had...his armor, his cloak, his sword and dagger, and a few other items.**

**He would get food rations at the bazzar on the way out of the city.**

**Getting out of the house courtyard was simple. After all, he was often sent to the city bazzar to fetch one of the noble's latest whim.**

**He would simply have to come up with some excuse to slip out the main gates.**

**Once outside the city, he knew, it would be quite different.**

**Most drow were sent on patrols through the Underdark during their training years at one of the academies.**

**But being a half bred, he was never sent to Melee Magthere or Sorcere. He had never been outside the confines of Menzoberranzan.**

**He would need to find a way to survive in the Underdark and even more so on the surface world...if he ever managed to get there.**

**He did not even know where he wanted to go on the surface...all he knew was that he needed to leave the city.**

**For now atleast, this was all he had to go on.**

**Little did he know he had caught the attention of a powerful entity.**

**The Masked Lord would keep his gaze on the mongrel...atleast for now.**

**But even with the favor of a diety, one is never invulnerable...far from it.**

**The underdark is an unforgiving place, even more so are the creatures that inhabit it's dark corridors.**


End file.
